Under the theme “New Horizons”, the InternetRetailing Conference (IRC) returns this year to London. Now in its 11th year, the event promises to reveal the new pressures and trends challenging the growth of the multichannel retail industry.

Key decision makers from leading brands including Airbnb, B&Q, Demandware, River Island, IBM, Urban Outfitters, Lego, Hotels.com and Vente Privée, will join the board-level conversation at Novotel Hammersmith on 12th October. Speaking to an audience of over 1,000 delegates, these industry trailblazers will discuss the best strategy for retailers to better satisfy the demands of the connected, savvy customer. They will use real life case studies and exclusive new research to inspire attendees and help retailers expand their business to new horizons.

The unstoppable growth in digital and mobile, along with the penetration of previously inaccessible markets and the better use of the latest technologies are just some of the issues that will be covered at this year’s event. The conference will host three parallel streams to respond to the new main industry concerns: how to engage, grow and transform within the multichannel commerce industry.

The Engage track will consider customers’ new shopping habits and the techniques retailers can use to increase customer contact, influence and impact.

The second track, focused on Growth, will showcase strategies for overcoming significant challenges of planning, establishing and growing retail operations in multiple countries, in new territories. Inventive partnership and techniques to increase the presence in customers’ minds and spending habits, as well as the increasing collaboration with online marketplaces, will also be examined in this stream.

Finally, the Transform track will present those retailers who’ve taken adaptation and flexibility to an extreme and have fundamentally changed not only their operations but the way they perceive themselves as retailers to successfully win over customers’ preference.

Furthermore, encouraging a hands-on approach, the conference will host 12 free-to-attend workshops lead by key industry suppliers including Electio, Pitney Bowes, Bazaarvoice, Certona and Fedex Cross Border will cover a wide range of topics from personalisation and conversion to cross-border and international trade.

Ahead of the show, Sam North, Portfolio Director, said: “Over the last ten years we’ve seen a move from ecommerce being an interesting add-on to being a fundamental part of the business, an equal partner with stores. For this reason, ecommerce professionals – for over a decade at the vanguard of innovation and radical change – are themselves now having to adapt and change.

“Now into its second decade at the forefront of multichannel, our 11th Annual Conference will provide a better understanding of these new directions of travel and goals as multichannel commerce moves into the next stage of digitally-led transformation. It is an opportunity to mix with and learn from peers that is not to be missed.”

Complementary to IRC, taking place on 11th October at the same venue, the eDelivery Conference (EDC) will host its second edition this year. This event will cover best practices and solutions for the “S-O-L-D” (Supply Chain, Operations, Logistics and Delivery) industry. It will gather the most innovative supply chain leaders, who are playing a pivotal role in reinventing traditional operational structures to convert the latest demands of the ‘always on’, ‘anytime anywhere’ consumer into a competitive opportunity.

To learn more about the InternetRetailing Conference and eDelivery Conference or to book your place now, visit www.internetretailingconference.com or www.edeliveryconference.com.